Just when we thought we were doing so well! Argh!
Our food assistance is being cut by $45 starting next month. Our six-month review was last month, and my income was too great for our current benefits. So they dropped it. Unfortunately, this month is going to be pretty tight, as I will be missing about 12 hours of work to drive to see my wife's parents (they are paying for the gas and will provide lodging and food, thankfully).
So, we should be short our normal income and won't have all of our normal food stamps for the month of November. With how the pay schedule is falling the coming weeks, even if I do overtime, it won't make a difference when it matters.
I will be working normal hours, and we will be submitting my pay stubs to get our normal food stamps back.
I really wish we could just afford to get off of them now! As it is, I only make $12/hr and we only get (were getting) $175/mo in assistance. They know our rent and utilities are high, but I guess it does not matter. :/
Hard Times a'comin'!
October 14th, 2012 at 01:06 am
October 14th, 2012 at 01:30 am 1350178252
You should see the benefit decline as a victory. You're that much closer to becoming independent, which is the first step to becoming comfortable, which is the start of the path to "wealthy."
That's right. The government just said, "Keep up the hard work and sacrifice, and you'll be 'wealthy' which means we can tax your success for those 'less fortunate.'"
October 14th, 2012 at 01:52 am 1350179538
October 14th, 2012 at 02:22 pm 1350224559
October 14th, 2012 at 02:32 pm 1350225176
Sell? Hmm. Can't think of anything. Like I said before, we tend to keep around only what we use.
October 14th, 2012 at 07:35 pm 1350243336
Let me also say I had a brief 3 month stint in my early 20s when I was on food stamps. It pretty much kept me from starving, as I worked two jobs, was paying for my own college education, rent and living expenses in Chicago (very spendy), all while making minimum wage. I felt embarrassed about it for a long time, but it really made a difference. Sometimes you are doing everything you are supposed to: working hard, but still not getting ahead.
Anyway, I hope you do manage to restore part of your benefits. I also know how tough it is to bring in money with a new baby. We have a 2 and 4 y.o. and it pretty much blew up our finances, because I couldn't work as much, childcare is unbelievably expensive, and jobs are generally inflexible to families.
October 14th, 2012 at 11:16 pm 1350256600
Good to know someone can sympathise.
I think, for the most part, everyone here is just trying to help. I thank you all!
October 15th, 2012 at 02:59 am 1350269974
Conversely, I hope Frugal manages to make enough money to be paying taxes rather than getting more benefits. Which way would you prefer to live?
Hoping that someone restores the benefits, to me, sounds like you're saying, "I hope you stay in financial straits and never have enough money to buy the nicer things in life." I would never wish that on anyone.
October 15th, 2012 at 03:34 am 1350272084
I should have mentioned that the reason that my income was higher than normal was because of overtime pay. I put in 6.25 hours overtime on one check, and normally it is only around 2. Corporate doesn't like to see us put in much overtime.
By the way, I pay taxes just like the rest of you... o.O
October 15th, 2012 at 01:50 pm 1350309008
Can't wait to hear about your latest cost cutting plan!